Know it all blue belts:

In the past I've ranted about this only to get it off my chest. I put this in the advanced grappling section because I want the discussion to be serious:

So I had a nice guy come in last week. He's a blue belt at another BJJ school, a very legit blue belt. During free grappling he took it upon himself to start showing my guys certain moves and telling them what they should do.

Awhile ago I stopped allowing that. I have a model I want my guys to follow. Now, let's see if I can word this correctly. I do not want my guys to learn something that is outside this model during class and the post class free rolling. I've chewed out my senior guys for doing this to lower belts. There is a time for them to learn when they established the base to apply that submission.

Now, my question is what is the protocol at your schools when an outsider comes in and starts giving advice to your guys? Let me qualify a few things before you answer. Realize I come from the school of thought that you do not say anything as a guest in anybody's gym without invitation.

Personally, as a blue belt, I wouldn’t even do that at the gym where I regularly train. I mean, ****, I’m just a blue belt! I might stop and correct very new white belts, and sometimes I give feedback to other blue belts after rolling (“I think you’d have got me with that, except that you gave a little too much space when you set up the grips”); or I might share something that worked after a sparring round—most likely if asked (“How did you…?”). But, unless explicitly asked (instructor: “Show [this beginner] how to get out of the mount situation you subbed him from”) I don’t regard it as my place to lecture. Where I regularly train. Going to another school and behaving like that seems absurd.

To be fair, though, I’m not a know-it-all blue belt so much as a rather crappy one acutely aware of my limitations.

We have a kind of weird school anyway. It is a cross between a very informal set up and a very focused one. Now I wouldnt have posted (I am not exactly built for serious forums) but this has exactly happened to us over the last two weeks or so.

A guy came in with some BJJ our coach rolled with him and found out he was good. Two days ago he took the class on basic armlocks and escapes. Not a big deal but it was good for two reasons.

1. we got a fresh approach to a concept. Some people need new approaches to succeed or to absorb infomation. Repeting an explanation dosen't mean I will get it.

2. It keeps us honest. None of us are perfect and a system of checks to make sure that we haven't developed bad habbits or gone off on strange tangents.

So moderated I think that learning from a fresh source can be a good thing.

We have a kind of weird school anyway. It is a cross between a very informal set up and a very focused one. Now I wouldnt have posted (I am not exactly built for serious forums) but this has exactly happened to us over the last two weeks or so.

A guy came in with some BJJ our coach rolled with him and found out he was good. Two days ago he took the class on basic armlocks and escapes. Not a big deal but it was good for two reasons.

1. we got a fresh approach to a concept. Some people need new approaches to succeed or to absorb infomation. Repeting an explanation dosen't mean I will get it.

2. It keeps us honest. None of us are perfect and a system of checks to make sure that we haven't developed bad habbits or gone off on strange tangents.

So moderated I think that learning from a fresh source can be a good thing.

Clarify something though; was he invited to take teach the class for that session or did he simply take it upon himself?

Keep him away from impressionable newbs, pair him up with more senior guys, and he'll likely not be in a position to coach. Once he is done getting wrecked and your teaching approach is validated to him, take him aside and explain that you have a training progression that you like newer students to follow. You'd appreciate it if he didn't coach your students along, as many of them are not ready for more advanced tricks when they still need to work on some fundamental skills.

We've had several visitors from various schools, several blues and purples, and while they've sort of swapped techniques with us while rolling none of them have ever started trying to teach.
And we all know I'm a pretty obnoxious guy and was fairly obnoxious as a blue belt, but even I haven't gone beyond the "Oh, we do that this way, show me your away again?" Kind of thing while rolling. So I dunno where the hell these blue belts come from that actually try to TEACH in someone elses school.

When our whitebelts start doing that crap they get told to stick to the material in the lesson. Just a quick shout across the mats or whatever. Don't see why it should need any more than that. "Hey! We're working X, stick to that for now."

Another thing to consider (a problem that happens a lot in my school) is if the blue belt in question is giving solicited advice? In other words, is he being asked something by who he is rolling with, or does he just pro-offer instruction?

Another thing to consider (a problem that happens a lot in my school) is if the blue belt in question is giving solicited advice? In other words, is he being asked something by who he is rolling with, or does he just pro-offer instruction?